Another month passed and I sat on my cot with my knees to my chest during free period. "Haze, you okay?" Myra asked from the door. I didn't reply, instead I hid my face in my knees. "Don't tell me you're thinking about it again..." she trailed off as she took a seat next to me.
"How could I have been so stupid Mai? How could I have missed it?" I asked, my heart pounding. She shrugged.
"You didn't know it was him, he was wearing a costume! Anyone can make a mistake," she reassured. I shook my head.
"Not this kind of mistake. I kissed the boy I like without even realizing it! What kind of moron does something like that!?" Myra smiled.
"You'd be surprised how blind people can be." I bit into a strand of my hair.
"Do you think he knows?" I asked warily.
"Have you asked him?" I shook my head.
"I'm afraid he'll hate me for not saying something sooner..." I admitted.
"Look girl, you've been avoiding Croy since the night of the dance. That was over a month ago. I'm really surprised he hasn't said anything to you, but I can tell he's at his limit. You guys have to talk about this!" She scolded.
"But what if he hated it. What if he doesn't want to be my friend anymore," I squeaked.
"You'll never know unless you try!" She enthused. "I think you should take the chance and ask him." After a few minutes of consideration, I nodded.
"You're right Mai. I'll ask him! The next time we meet, I'll tell him everything!" A large smile framed Myra's face.
"That's the spirit! Now that you're full of energy, get up, we have to go wash!" she urged before tossing a bar of soap at me. I rolled my eyes with a smile.
"Fine, let me just gather my things."
It was already mid-December and the sun had begun to set earlier. A chill ran up my spine as a cool breeze blew past us. Myra had less clothes to wash than me, so she ended up finishing before I did.
"Hey, I'm gonna head back," she said when she finished.
"Okay, I'll catch up with you later!" I said as I continued to scrub my clothes. An hour later, I finished. As I packed up my wet clothes, I thought about everything I had learned over the past 6 months. It really hadn't taken long for me to fall for my partner. In fact, it had taken longer for me to admit I had feelings for him. Myra had managed to squeeze it out of me the very same night I found out he was the Prince.
Because of this realization, the relationship between us had gotten even more complicated. I hadn't breathed a word to him since that day in the music room. We used to be inseparable and now, I couldn't even look at him without getting all tongue-tied. "Having a crush sucks..." I muttered to myself as I swung the bag over my shoulder and began making my way back to camp. My heart raced when I caught a glimpse of someone sitting on the grass just near the edge of the trees. It was Croy.
After an entire minute of debating, I took in a deep breath and made my way over to where he sat. "Hey, what are you doing out here? Is everything okay?" I managed to ask before taking a seat. Another breeze blew past us making me shiver. My cheeks flared red when he took off his hoodie and draped it around my shoulders, my mind flashing back to that night at the dance. "T-thanks..." I muttered, my cheeks pink. A sad smile crossed his face as he played with the grass.
"10 days from now, it'll be the anniversary of my mother's death." He whispered. "The day after my birthday, on the twenty-seventh..." he trailed off.
"That's right." I thought to myself. "Croy's birthday is in a few days and I've been so busy moping, I forgot to make him something. Some friend you are!" I scolded myself.
"Hazel?" Croy began, pulling me out of my thoughts. "Do you know why I'm not worried about spending my birthday here this year?" He asked.
"Why?" I asked curiously.
"Because I have you to keep me sane..." he trailed off with a smile. "Even though I have Jase, Myra and sometimes Allison, I've always felt alone. But since I met you, I haven't had a single lonely moment. It's as if you've filled the void that I've been harboring in my heart for almost ten years. Not only are you my best friend..." he trailed off. "You're so much more to me than that." He admitted as he placed his hand gently over mine. My face turned red.
After a few seconds, he stood up and held out his hand. "I promise I won't bite," he said as he caught on to my hesitation. "I want to show you something." he said as he led me slowly through the woods. We walked a little over 5 minutes in complete silence until we reached the meadow. Fireflies illuminated the clearing, reminding me of that night. "This way." he gestured with his hand for me to follow. Anxiously, I watched as he sat down at the edge of the cliff, then slid his legs down and disappeared over it.
"Croy!" I shouted as I peeked over.
"Shh, come on!" he hissed from a thin rock ledge, that protruded from the cliff-side. Anxiously, I slid down the edge and landed by his side.
"W-woah!" I exclaimed as I fought to keep my balance.
"Careful..." he whispered as he wrapped his arm around my waist and steadied me.
"Red Lake?" I asked in a whisper. He nodded as I stared out at the perfectly tranquil water.
"How is it that you always know about the most amazing places?" He chuckled at my question.
"Well, you don't live here for ten years without having some tricks up your sleeve. Besides, this is just above the meadow I showed you, so it's not really a secret." He muttered.
"Oh, so this is a trick?" I teased.
"More like a treat." he retorted with a wink.
"Actually, you're the first person I've ever brought down here, so please don't die." He teased as he climbed down to a lower ledge. I pouted before following him down.
"This way," he instructed before disappearing into an opening on the side of the cliff. After he made sure it was safe, he jumped down to a lower ledge inside the cavern and held out his hand for me to take. "Come on," he whispered, his sapphire eyes seemed to glow with enthusiasm. After taking a deep breath, I placed my hand in his and jumped. My feet landed on a slippery edge. I gasped as I lost my balance. Anxiously, I closed my eyes and prepared myself for the fall. Instead, I landed on a warm and sturdy surface.
"Are you okay?" He asked as he held onto me, his arms wrapped tightly around my torso. I blushed and nodded as he continued to embrace me. "I've missed you twerp." he admitted as he rested his chin against my head.
"I missed you too. Sorry for being stupid..." I muttered as I buried my face in his chest. The familiar scent made my mouth water. Time seemed to slow down as he pulled away and studied me. I stared back timidly, my eyes resting on his perfect lips. The lips I kissed over a month ago without knowing. My cheeks burned when I remembered that night.
"Hazel?" His whisper brought me back to reality.
"Yea?" I replied anxiously, his face inches away from mine. My pulse accelerated as he leaned in slowly and nudged my nose with his.
"CrâCroy?" I managed to stammer as he inched closer. Our lips where about to meet when a sudden chill caused me to shiver.
"Come on." He mumbled, pulling away softly. "It's much warmer inside," he said as he led the way deeper into the cave. We walked silently next to each other for a few minutes until he broke the silence.
"We're here." He said when we finally arrived at the edge of the underground lake. The water sparkled in front of us as it reflected light from nearby geodes. The water looked so clear; it could've been a pool. We made our way carefully around the rocks that surrounded the lake. When we reached the bottom, I sat down and stared at the beauty of the water. My face flared red when Croy began taking off his clothes.
"W-what are you doing?" I asked nervously as he took off his shirt, revealing his perfectly chiseled torso. My heart cringed when I laid eyes on the large scar that ran along the left side of his abdomen.
"I want to show you something, jump in with me!" I thought about it for a few seconds.
"Won't it be cold?" I asked, glancing at the water.
"It's not as cold as the showers we're forced to take," he said with a chuckle. After a few seconds, I started to take off my hoodie. I was about to take off my shirt, but he stopped me. "No, don't take your clothes off! You're a lady, men shouldn't see you undress unless they're your boyfriend or your husband..." he trailed off, a light blush dusting his cheeks. I watched him curiously as he picked up his black shirt and handed it to me.
"Put this on so you won't get your uniform wet." He said without looking at me.
"But then your clothes will be wet!" I protested. He shook his head.
"I don't care, just put it on. When you're ready, I'll be waiting in the water." Even though he still had his pants on, he grabbed a running start before jumping into the water. When he emerged, he turned his back to me and waited patiently for me to finish dressing. His clothes were warm and smelled like him. When I finished, I put my shoes back on to protect my feet.
"Ok, I'm done..." I muttered as I stood on the edge next to him. Underneath the clear water, you could see how deep the lake got as it went farther out.
"Follow me," he said with a smile before taking in a deep breath and diving in.